History of the Flight
The aircraft, a Cessna 182Q registered G-BRRK, departed Elstree aerodrome with one passenger on a private flight to Finmere Microlight Site in Buckinghamshire. The flight was uneventful until the aircraft joined a left-hand circuit for Runway 28. The pilot, who was familiar with Finmere, was aware of a road passing perpendicular and close to the end of the runway. After turning onto final at approximately 1.5 miles from the threshold, the pilot visually confirmed no traffic on the road. However, as the aircraft approached, a vehicle turned onto the road from the right in the pilot's peripheral vision. The pilot heard a 'bang' as the aircraft passed over the road, and the passenger saw an articulated vehicle pass underneath. Both suspected the right main landing gear had contacted the vehicle, but the aircraft's flying characteristics remained normal. The pilot opted to go around to assess potential damage. Unable to visually confirm damage from the cockpit, the pilot contacted the Distress and Diversion Cell on the emergency frequency 121.5 MHz, declared an emergency, and requested assistance to visually inspect the right landing gear before landing. The D&D controller offered inspections at Oxford Airport or Elstree aerodrome. The pilot chose to return to Elstree, where a low pass was performed; air traffic control and a ground vehicle crew reported no visible damage. The aircraft landed without further incident. The driver of the articulated vehicle later provided photographs showing tyre marks on the top of the vehicle. A maintenance inspection after the event found no damage to the aircraft.
Aerodrome Information
Finmere Aerodrome is an unlicenced aerodrome located 11 nm west of Milton Keynes. It has one asphalt runway, 10/28, which is 701 m long. The end of Runway 28 is 35 m from the road. The aerodrome requires pilots to request permission before visiting. The owner stated that pilots on a normal approach path should have sufficient height to clear vehicles on the road, and no previous incidents or near misses had been reported. She indicated that when granting permission in future, she would inform pilots unfamiliar with the aerodrome about the high volume of articulated vehicles on the road.
Conclusion
The aircraft approached the aerodrome over a road lower than necessary to maintain a safe distance from traffic using the road, resulting in the right aircraft wheel contacting the top of an articulated vehicle as it passed beneath the aircraft.